Experts Rumor Update:(Jagr Available)

At the moment, any team could, for instance, get Jaromir Jagr from the Washington Capitals. But accountants willing to add Jagr’s $10.7-million US salary to their team’s budget are few and far between. You have a better chance of not seeing me get into a fight!….-Jagr is an unconditional free agent after this season and may yet end up with the Maple Leafs. After all, he’s exactly the type of player Leafs general manager/coach Pat Quinn has hinted he may get with the contents of the now infamous war chest.

-In Tampa Bay, the Lightning would like to move Fred Modin for the Boston Bruins’ Kyle McLaren. But again, there are accounting difficulties. Because McLaren is unsigned, the Lightning would have to negotiate the terms of a contract before the trade is made.

-There’s a reason the Coyotes haven’t made a trade in an effort to shake their spiraling ways. Nobody wants any of their players, according to Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, the team’s part owner and managing partner. “I don’t mean this to be controversial, and I don’t mean it to be a finger-pointing sort of thing,” Gretzky told the Arizona Republic Tuesday in Scottsdale at the conclusion of the NHL owners’ meetings. “But the fact of the matter is there aren’t many guys on our club that teams want, and that’s a fact.” Gretzky said the team has been trying to deal for weeks, but every time general manager Mike Barnett and Cliff Fletcher, the team’s senior executive vice president, make a pitch, they hit a dead end. The Coyotes players drawing the most interest are forwards Shane Doan and Tony Amonte, neither of whom they want to trade.

-Suspended defenseman Boris Mironov could be out for some time. The Hawks refuse to rush a trade. General manager Mike Smith said Tuesday he was no closer to trading Mironov, who has asked to be dealt. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he sat out until after Christmas,” Smith said. Mironov has now forfeited $146,664 in salary for the eight days away from the team.